diff --git a/lib/vty.c b/lib/vty.c
index e7e0f17e67..ffde21db93 100644
--- a/lib/vty.c
+++ b/lib/vty.c
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ vty_new ()
 {
   struct vty *new = XCALLOC (MTYPE_VTY, sizeof (struct vty));
 
+  new->fd = new->wfd = -1;
   new->obuf = buffer_new(0);    /* Use default buffer size. */
   new->buf = XCALLOC (MTYPE_VTY, VTY_BUFSIZ);
   new->error_buf = XCALLOC (MTYPE_VTY, VTY_BUFSIZ);
@@ -2248,18 +2249,22 @@ vty_close (struct vty *vty)
       XFREE (MTYPE_VTY_HIST, vty->hist[i]);
 
   /* Unset vector. */
-  vector_unset (vtyvec, vty->fd);
+  if (vty->fd != -1)
+    vector_unset(vtyvec, vty->fd);
 
   if (vty->wfd > 0 && vty->type == VTY_FILE)
     fsync (vty->wfd);
 
-  /* Close socket. */
-  if (vty->fd > 0)
-    {
-      close (vty->fd);
-      if (vty->wfd > 0 && vty->wfd != vty->fd)
-        close (vty->wfd);
-    }
+  /* Close socket.
+   * note check is for fd > STDERR_FILENO, not fd != -1.
+   * We never close stdin/stdout/stderr here, because we may be
+   * running in foreground mode with logging to stdout.  Also,
+   * additionally, we'd need to replace these fds with /dev/null. */
+  if (vty->wfd > STDERR_FILENO && vty->wfd != vty->fd)
+    close(vty->wfd);
+
+  if (vty->fd > STDERR_FILENO)
+    close(vty->fd);
   else
     was_stdio = true;
 
@@ -2309,13 +2314,14 @@ vty_read_file (FILE *confp)
   unsigned int line_num = 0;
 
   vty = vty_new ();
-  vty->wfd = dup(STDERR_FILENO); /* vty_close() will close this */
-  if (vty->wfd < 0)
-  {
-    /* Fine, we couldn't make a new fd. vty_close doesn't close stdout. */
-    vty->wfd = STDOUT_FILENO;
-  }
-  vty->fd = STDIN_FILENO;
+  /* vty_close won't close stderr;  if some config command prints
+   * something it'll end up there.  (not ideal; it'd be beter if output
+   * from a file-load went to logging instead.  Also note that if this
+   * function is called after daemonizing, stderr will be /dev/null.)
+   *
+   * vty->fd will be -1 from vty_new()
+   */
+  vty->wfd = STDERR_FILENO;
   vty->type = VTY_FILE;
   vty->node = CONFIG_NODE;
 
@@ -2323,7 +2329,7 @@ vty_read_file (FILE *confp)
   ret = config_from_file (vty, confp, &line_num);
 
   /* Flush any previous errors before printing messages below */
-  buffer_flush_all (vty->obuf, vty->fd);
+  buffer_flush_all (vty->obuf, vty->wfd);
 
   if ( !((ret == CMD_SUCCESS) || (ret == CMD_ERR_NOTHING_TODO)) )
     {